Microsoft not the only one using 'OneDrive' name

Summary:It rebranded SkyDrive after losing a trademark battle, but another minefield might be next with the new name already widely used, including in the parts found in KFC delivery vehicles and software-related businesses.

Microsoft might have rechristened its cloud storage service from "SkyDrive" to "OneDrive" to avoid legal troubles, but it could be in another potential minefield with the new name already being used by a slew of companies and products.

Among the places where the OneDrive name can be found, include the motorparts used in some KFC delivery vehicles in Malaysia, car-related businesses, various software-related companies, and even a hardware tool, noted Techgeek.

For example, OneDrive is the name of a bolt designed by Australian company Zipbolt, noted the report. It's described as a "fully self contained one piece connector with a self exiting screw shaft" that saves users time when assembling furniture such as cupboards.

It's also the name of a motorparts product by KLD Energy Technologies for electric vehicles, including those used by Kentucky Fried Chicken for its delivery fleet in Malaysia.

OneDrive is a propulsion and generation system for electric vehicles, used in Eclimo scooters. (source: www.kldenergy.com/onedrive)

Not surprisingly in the automotive space, OneDrive is also the name of a car parts distributor in Portugal, which has four stores across the country.

One of four stores under Portuguese car parts distributor OneDrive. (source: http://www.onedrive.pt)

Halfway around the world in New Zealand, it's also the name of a car-rental service provided by AVIS, noted Techgeek.

In the software space, ONEDrive is an upcoming program by DataONE, the Data Observation Network for Earth which is supported by the National Science Foundation in the U.S for ecological and environmental research data.

It's also the name of an API that is available on GitHub. According to the Singaporean developer Kajal Sinha, OneDrive is a framework API where "all Cloud Services (SkyDrive, DropBox, Box, Google Drive etc) lands up and provide a common interface to which a client system can interact".

Perhaps the most interesting find was in Brazil, where it found there was a cloud storage service called OneDrive, run by Locaweb, a local web hosting company. It suddenly changed the service's name to GoDrive as recently as last week, thanks to the Internet Archive uncovered by Techgeek, which it speculated might have involved some influence from Microsoft.

Brazilian web hosting firm Locaweb changed its cloud storage service's name from OneDrive to GoDrive as recently as last week.

Looks like OneDrive is a pretty popular name for hosting services, with another company in Istanbul also laying claim. It's been operational since September 2013, and is a subsidiary of H20 Ventures, according to its site.

Loves caption contests, leisurely strolls along supermarket aisles and watching How It's Made. Ryan has covered finance, politics, tech and sports for TV, radio and print. He is also co-author of best seller "Profit from the Panic". Ryan is an editor at ZDNet's Asia/Singapore office.